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Loading ...Schwarzenegger hopes Calif Supreme Court overturns anti-gay amendment
11.10.2008 9:40am EST
(San Francisco, California) As gays and lesbians demonstrated against the banning of same-sex marriage in California for a fifth day Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said he hoped the California Supreme Court would overturn the measure.
Speaking on CNN Sunday, the governor called passage of the constitutional amendment “unfortunate … but it’s not the end.”“I think that we will again maybe undo that, if the court is willing to do that, and then move forward from there and again lead in that area,” Schwarzenegger said.
The governor spoke out against the amendment during the campaign. In April, at the national convention of the Log Cabin Republicans, the nation’s largest gay Republican group, in San Diego, he said for the first time he opposed the measure, but predicted it would not get voter approval.
The measure succeeded, however, with a slim margin. LGBT rights groups immediately petitioned the California Supreme Court to overturn it on the grounds the measure is invalid, because the initiative process was improperly used in an attempt to undo the constitution’s core commitment to equality for everyone, by eliminating a fundamental right from just one group – lesbian and gay Californians.
The petition also says that Proposition 8 improperly attempts to prevent the courts from exercising their essential constitutional role of protecting the equal protection rights of minorities.
Appearing on CNN, Schwarzenegger urged gays not to give up in the fight for marriage equality.
“They should never give up. They should be on it and on it until they get it done,” he said.
That is a marked change from his earlier positions on gay marriage. Legislation to legalize same-sex marriage passed the California legislature twice and each time Schwarzenegger vetoed the bills, saying that the courts, or the people through a plebiscite, should decide the issue.
The California Supreme Court ruled in May that it was unconstitutional to ban gays and lesbians from marrying. Opponents immediately began work on Prop 8.
Supporters of same-sex marriage demonstrated Sunday at a number of churches across the state. Evangelical Christians, the Roman Catholic Church and the Mormon Church actively supported passage of Prop 8.
Carrying signs that read “You Cannot Vote Away Civil Rights,” hundreds protested in front of the Saddleback Church, an Orange County mega-church.
In Oakland, demonstrators crowded onto a roadway in front of a Mormon temple, prompting the California Highway Patrol to close off an exit ramp, because they feared some demonstrators could be hit by traffic.
Thousands of others demonstrated against the amendment in front of the state Capitol in Sacramento.
On Saturday, 10,000 supporters of gay marriage took to the streets in Los Angeles. Another 10,000 demonstrated in San Diego.
On Friday, tensions flared at a vigil at Palm Springs City Hall, when a supporter of the gay marriage ban carrying a plastic foam cross clashed with protesters, according to The Desert Sun. The crowd ripped the cross from her hands and stomped on it. Police made no arrests.
About 2,000 people gathered in Long Beach Friday night and there were three arrests. A thousand people also marched Friday in San Francisco.
A Republican Governor speaks out against the Prop 8 vote, but OBAMA stays silent?! Where is the great leader that so many in the Gay Press and the LGBT community swore would be the best candidate to fight for our issues? There have been continuous protests for over 5 days now, it goes national on Sat., and Obama can’t even bother to notice? If it wasn’t such a huge betrayal, Obama’s lack of leadership would be a joke.
The Republicans, through our Governor, have seesawed back and forth over who should really decide this issue. No thanks to Schwarzenegger for suddenly realizing that a 50% + 1 vote is inadequate protection for minority rights, after twice - TWICE - vetoing legislation and seeing the state Supreme Court validate it. His publicity skills are getting rusty if he thinks this is going to do him any good.
It’s being reported that Obama is planning to use the power of Executive Orders to immediatly undo some of the Bush policies, but Obama has already backtracked away from using an Executive Order to end the anti-gay Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy. Obama now prefers a “legislative” way to end DADT. The discriminatory Prop 8 just passed in a “legislative” way as well.
You do the math.
http://news.aol.com/elections/article/obama-may-quickly-undo-bush-policies/242417
I saw the interview with the Governator. He was forceful and decisive in the way he spoke out against Prop 8. I think that he was genuinely surprised or disappointed that the proposition had passed.
And Wayne, I don’t think that you can really expect the Obama’s to make a statement on a gay issue while their busy puppy shopping. Come on!
http://www.yocisco.com/cms/node/1452 With all the articles like this from before the election, why didn’t gay “leaders” warn us better ? One can be racist or nonracist, love black folk or hate them, but….nothing matters except for future gay leaders and politicians being aware that the AA vote will greatly go a certain way, and factoring that into the strategy to win in the future.
“Wayne” apparently doesn’t know yet that the election is over. Thankfully for the gay community, his team, McCain/Palin, lost.
It seems that maybe the Governor’s wife is asserting herself in the household? Just a guess. At any rate, better late than never. I think our new president-elect just needs to see the acting-up that is taking place, and about to take place on a grander scale to get his attention back on us. He has a lot on his plate now, no doubt, so we need to draw his attention back to us. He is a clear-minded thinker, and he will see the constitution being batted around and have to get involved. He’s all for civil rights, and I am convinced he can be moved on his previous stance against gay marriage. There are ways to get this turned around, and the protests in CA and UT are great first steps. I am excited to hear about a nation wide protest for this weekend, and my next step today is to gather all of the info about that and get involved here in Nashville. I have been listening to Melissa Etheridge sing “Giant” this morning, and it is a great song to get your gay juices flowing on a Monday morning. Let’s blare it through loudspeakers outside of churches this weekend!
So, where was our Republican governor when the polls were predicting that Prop 8 would pass? Politically, he had nothing to lose. That was the time for him to speak out. Afterwards counts for little.
And, for those who repeatedly pretend that Dems are no better than Repubs, we can always remind them that the Dem-controlled legislature twice passed legislation to legalize same-sex marriage, and a moderate Republican governor vetoed it twice.
It would not do the gay rights movement any good for Obama to endorse gay marriage or take on DADT tell right now. He would destroy all of his political capital with the nation and prevent his agenda from moving forward (read the history of Pres. Clinton in 1993). Obama and other strategic politicians realize that winning equality for same-sex couples is a long term process and will ultimately need to rely upon the Supreme Court to be achieved. Therefore, let Obama support us through his court nominations (probably three over the next four years). We’ll get gay marriage in time. Just be patient and let this gay-affirming Democratic President help us in the long term.
When Obama won, the Gay community lost. Gay people supported Obama, but Obama sure doensn’t seem to eager to return the favor. Trace had it right. Puppies seem more important to Obama than Gay Equality ever did.
i still trust Obama. i’d like him to speak against prop 8 too, but this is still a State issue. unless thousands suddenly march on Washington, it’s out of context for him to say anything. he has an entire nation to take care of and they’ll get upset if it appears his first interest in California gays, especially given the economic crisis. as a group, gays would look SELFISH for not recognizing that fact. be realistic.
as far as Schwarzenegger — would you rather he spoke in faveor of prop 8? i thought it was HUGE for him to support us the way he did. privately, he is in favor of gay rights. and those feelings have always been in conflict with his public persona. maybe one good thing prop 8 did was make him see he needs to be more publicly supportive. it’s HUGE for him to publicly give a nod to the Supreme Court and say he hopes they step in and overturn prop 8. those justices watch the news too, and while they won’t base their decision on what the Governor says, they’ll certainly keep it in the back of their mind. thank you Arnold!
Wayne…I love you man. The time for Dem vs Rep has passed, and now we are one big group of disenfranchised voters. Let’s stay focused on the now. The one you didn’t like is moving into the WH in a couple of months, and he’s the one we have to deal with on this. Let them pick out the puppy, unpack the bags and then let’s get down to business. The old arguments that took place on the road to the election have been fought and won/lost, depending on your side of that argument. Let’s make it do what it do now, all in our gay glory out there acting up and making heads turn our way.
DesertDude says:
It would not do the gay rights movement any good for Obama to endorse gay marriage or take on DADT tell right now.
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So how long do we have to wait for Obama to grow a pair of balls and actually take a stand on equality? 1 year? 2 years? Gays have only been waiting on equality since the fall of Rome, so what’s a few more years. To the young that might be ok, but to older Gay couples who have been together for twenty years, it’s a slap in the face to be told to shut up and keep waiting. And wasn’t Obama supposed to be a friend to the gay community? Who told that lie?
We need to bankrupt the Mormon Church. The Mormons can’t keep bankrolling the opposition in every election cycle. That might be the one good thing to come out of a long, dirty fight: Bankrupting the Mormon church.
Obama has been exploiting Black bigotry against Gay people from the very beginning of this campaign! Doesn’t any remember OBAMA AND THE ANTI-GAY BIGOT DONNIE McCLURKIN? Obama’s “Faith Tours” literally targeted the Black Churches, and were headed by YES ON PROP 8 Advocates.